Vijay Soni

A Corona del Mar couple were arrested this week on suspicion of multiple counts of forgery, making false financial statements and filing false or forged paperwork, Irvine police said. Supriti and Vijay Soni of First Countrywide Realty and FasTrak Funding have been under investigation by Irvine police and the Orange County district attorney's office, authorities said.

A Corona del Mar husband-and-wife real estate team found guilty of identity theft could each face more than 10 years in prison when sentenced Oct. 3, authorities said. Vijay Soni, 60, and Supriti Soni, 43, were found guilty Tuesday of 19 felony counts related to identity theft, including forgery, credit fraud and recording a forged real estate document. The couple, who had been free on their own recognizance, were taken into custody.

Real estate is the No. 1 game in Orange County, and the player ranks are filled with those drawn by the myth of easy money. An average home resale price of about $250,000--second highest in the nation behind San Francisco--drives a furious market. So far, the number of homes listed for sale in Orange County is running at least 15% ahead of last year, according to Tarbell Realtors.